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Auckland’s Chris Birch means business.
The Mount Albert man convincingly won the opening round of the Yamaha-sponsored New Zealand Enduro championships near Dargaville on Saturday and sounded alarm bells that it will take a lot to beat the dirt bike ace this season.
The 26-year-old took his orange and black KTM250 EXC to the front of the talent-laden field from the outset and was never headed.
Birch, who was a key member of New Zealand’s representative team entry and a gold medal winner at last November’s International Six Days Enduro near Taupo, showed his international class as he recorded the fastest times in his class in each of the timed special stages on the dry, dusty and rocky Tutamoe course.
Birch had Adrian Smith (Honda CRF250) for close company throughout the day but ended the event 26 seconds ahead of the rider from Thames. Smith, last season’s national cross-country champion and a 2006 ISDE silver medallist, leads the expert under-300cc four-stroke class after the Tutamoe event.
“It was a good day for me. At least I managed to stay upright and that’s unusual for me,” Birch laughed afterwards.
Saturday’s win means Birch is now heavily favoured to successfully defend his expert over-200cc crown, despite the fact he will not be able to race at round two because that’s the day he’s getting married, to long-time girlfriend Monica.
“But that’s okay because only five of the six rounds are counted towards the national title. Riders can drop their worst score and my wedding day will be my sacrifice event.
“I just can’t afford to have a bad day anywhere this year.”
Hokianga’s Mitchell Nield (Husqvarna WR250) finished third overall and was runner-up to Birch in the chase for Expert over-200cc class honours.
Tokoroa’s Sean Clarke (Yamaha WRF250, expert under-300cc four-stroke) and ISDE silver medallists Karl Power (Hamilton, Husaberg FE450, expert over-300cc four-stroke) and Heath Howlett (Ngaruawahia, Yamaha YZ250, expert over-200cc two-stroke) finished the day fourth, fifth and sixth overall respectively.
The leading rider in the small bike category, the expert under-200cc class, was trials riding hero Rory Mead (Wellington, KTM 200 EXC), while Malcolm Given (Honda CR250) leads the expert veterans’ over-35 years class after round one.
The national series, sponsored this season by Yamaha, Kiwi Rider magazine, Mitas, Acerbis and HJC helmets, next heads to the Kapiti coast, north of Wellington, for round two on March 10.
LEADING RESULTS FROM ROUND ONE:
Overall:
1. Chris Birch (Auckland, KTM 250EXC); 2. Adrian Smith (Thames, Honda CRF250); 3. Mitchell Nield (Hokianga, Husqvarna WR250); 4. Sean Clarke (Tokoroa, Yamaha WRF250); 5. Karl Power (Hamilton, Husaberg FE450); 6. Heath Howlett (Ngaruawahia, Yamaha YZ250).
Expert over-200cc two-stroke:
1. Chris Birch (Auckland, KTM 250EXC); 2. Mitchell Nield (Hokianga, Husqvarna WR250); 3. Heath Howlett (Ngaruawahia, Yamaha YZ250).
Expert under-200cc two-stroke:
1. Rory Mead (Wellington, KTM200 EXC); 2. Jason Anderson (Putaruru, TM125); 3. Jason Davis (Whangamata, KTM200 EXC).
Expert over-300cc four-stroke:
1. Karl Power (Hamilton, Husaberg FE450); 2. Wayne Neilson (Wanganui, Yamaha WRF450); 3. Morgan Dransfield (Wellington, KTM 450 EXC).
Expert under-300cc four-stroke:
1. Adrian Smith (Thames, Honda CRF250); 2. Sean Clarke (Tokoroa, Yamaha WRF250); 3. Reece Burgess (Tauranga, KTM 250 EXC).
Expert veterans’ over-35 years:
1. Malcolm Given (Raglan, Honda CR250); 2. Terry Cameron (Tauranga, Gas Gas EC125); 3. Mark Whyte (Paeroa, Suzuki RMZ250).
The remaining rounds of the six-round New Zealand Enduro Championships schedule are:
Round two, Kapi Mana, Wellington, March 10.
Round three, Waimiha, Te Kuiti, April 7.
Round four, Santoft, Palmerston North, August 5.
Round five, Gwavas, Hawke’s Bay, September 16.
Round six, Woodhill, Auckland, September 29.
The series is coordinated by Auckland’s Shaun Stanbridge, phone 09-479-1490.
